Adjustable pitch mounting bracket and arm awning

ABSTRACT

Lateral arm awning apparatus includes an awning box with a mounting plate. An adjustable pitch mounting bracket includes a base plate fixable to a generally vertical surface. A hinge is provided and interconnects the awning box mounting plate and the bracket. An actuator couples the awning box mounting plate and the bracket for causing an angular relationship between the awning mounting plate and the bracket to change.

The present invention is generally related to awnings and is more particularly directed to mounting bracket apparatus for changing the pitch of a deployed awning fabric so as to provide controlled shading from solar radiation when the sun becomes low on the horizon.

Retractable awnings are often provided on recreational vehicles, such as motor homes and travel trailers, in order to provide additional living space by way of an outdoor area adjacent the RV. Such deployable awnings are often used in combination with vehicles having slide out extensions, or sliders.

Heretofore, lateral arm awnings have been installed and adjusted for a pitch, or angle, from horizontal, at the time of installation.

While such awnings have been useful, they often fail to provide protection desired when deployed. This is particularly true when the sun is low on the horizon, such as in the late afternoon or early morning. At this time, it is desirable to be able to lower the leading edge of the awning to block the incident sun line. However, other times when the sun angle is higher in the sky, it is desirable to return the awning to a more horizontal angle.

The present invention provides for an adjustable pitch-mounting bracket and awning, which enables pitch adjustment either automatically or remotely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Lateral arm awning apparatus in accordance with the present invention generally includes an awning box having a mounting plate and at least one lateral awning arm fixed to the mounting plate and extendable from the awning box for supporting an awning fabric.

An adjustable pitch mounting bracket is provided which includes a base plate fixable to a generally vertical surface.

The preferred use of the present invention is on recreational vehicles with lateral arm awnings, however it may be also installed onto fixed structures such as houses and other buildings.

A hinge is provided interconnecting the awning box mounting plate and the bracket. An actuator couples the awning box mounting plate and bracket and causes an angular relationship between the awning mounting plate and the bracket as well as the base plate, to change. More particularly, the actuator may include a pair of arms with a driver disposed therebetween at a position extending and retracting the arms.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the actuator includes a pair of articulated arms with a driver disposed between the articulated arms and the base plate and positioned for straightening and bending the articulated arms.

In either of the embodiments, the driver may be a linear actuator selected from a group including an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, and a pneumatic motor.

More particularly, the apparatus may include at least one sun sensor deployable in an umbrage of an extended awning fabric along with a controller interconnected with the sensor for operating the actuator to control the angular relationship.

In accordance with the present invention, the actuator provides a means for changing a pitch of an extended awning fabric with respect to a horizontal by changing an angular relationship between the awning mounting plate and the bracket plate.

A plurality of sun sensors may be disposed in order to fine-tune the pitch of the deployed awning fabric.

The present invention further includes a method for controlling a pitch of a deployed awning fabric, which includes the steps of providing a bracket mounting an extendable/retractable awning to a wall and adjusting a pitch of an extended awning and fabric with respect to the wall.

Method further includes disposing a sun sensor in an umbrage of the extended awning and operating the bracket in response to the sun sensor to control the awning pitch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood by the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional lateral arm awning, disposed on a vehicle side and extending over an extended slider, illustrating extended shade protection which may be obtained by changing the pitch to accommodate for low sun angles;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the awning shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a broken awning side view of one embodiment of the present invention of an adjustable pitch mounting bracket which includes a base plate, a movable awning box mounting plate, a hinge therebetween along with an actuator coupling the awning mounting plate, and the bracket for causing an angular relationship change between the awning mounting plate and the base plate; and

FIG. 4 is a broken away side view of another embodiment in accordance with the present invention illustrating an actuator, which includes a pair of articulated arms with a driver disposed at a position straightening and bending of the articulated arms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a lateral arm awning apparatus 10 for a lateral arm awning 12 having awning arms 14 for retracting and deploying an awning fabric 16 in a conventional manner, the lateral arm awning 12 and fabric 16 being shown in a deployed position in FIG. 1. The lateral arm awning 12 may be, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,936, AWNING SYSTEM FOR A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. This patent is to be incorporated herewith in its entirety.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 10 includes an awning box 18 with a mounting plate 20. An adjustable pitch mounting bracket 22 includes a base plate 24 fixable to a generally vertical surface, such as a wall 26 of a motor home 28, see FIG. 1.

Again with reference to FIG. 2, the apparatus 10 further includes a hinge 34, which may be a piano-type hinge, interconnecting the awning box mounting plate 20 and the bracket 22 for enabling a change in the angular relationship A, therebetween.

At least one actuator 38 couples the awning box mounting plate 20, and the bracket 22 base plate 24 for causing an angular relationship between the awning box mounting plate 20 and the bracket 22 as well as the base plate 24 to change, thereby effecting a pitch change as illustrated in FIG. 1. Multiple actuators 38, only one being shown, may be utilized in a spaced apart relationship between the awning box mounting plate 20 of the bracket 22 depending upon a width of the awning box 18.

When multiple actuators 38, (only one being shown) are utilized between the awning box mounting plate 20 and the bracket 22 and base plate 24, the actuators 38 are operated in a coordinated manner to prevent undesirable stress on the awning box mounting plate 20, bracket 22, and base plate 24. However, it is not mandatory that each of the actuators 38 be moved in an equal amount. It may be desirable to move one of the actuators 38 of the plurality of actuators (not shown) to gain a favorable profile in the awning fabric 16. This is a further feature of the present invention.

With reference again to FIG. 1, there is shown the awning arms 14 at a 10° normal pitch. With a 30° solar attitude, awning arms 14 may be extended 3 meters and with a 36 inch extended slider 40, an additional pitch A is gained. As shown in FIG. 1, this provides an additional 22.4° of sun angle.

With reference again to FIG. 2, the actuator 38 include at least one arm 44, with a driver 48 attached to the base plate by coupling 46 a position extending and retracting the arm 44.

The arm 44 may be threaded for enabling a screw type driver 48 to be utilized, alternatively the driver 48 may be a linear actuator of conventional design (such as, for example, available from Firgelli Automation, Bellingham, Wash.), which may include an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or a pneumatic motor.

The preferred method for operating the adjustable pitch bracket is a linear actuator. These actuators utilize motors that drive the actuator in both directions. The motors have reversible operation and the preferred motor for the adjustable pitch operation is a brushed DC motor. This motor will rotate in one direction when the DC voltage is applied and will reverse when the voltage polarity is swapped.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the couplings 46 provides for accommodating the change in angular relationship between the arm 44 and a awning box mounting plate 20 and the arm 46 and the base plate 24 respectively, the arm 44 being attached to the awning box mounting plate 20 by a fitting 50.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown an alternative embodiment bracket 56, in accordance with the present invention, with common reference characters representing identical, or substantially identical components, as hereinabove discussed in connection with the embodiment 10 shown in FIG. 3.

Returning to FIG. 4, the bracket 56 includes an actuator 60 including articulated arms 62, 64 coupled to a driver 68 through a driver leg 70 attached at a hinged point 72 between the articulated arms 62, 64. The driver 68 is further coupled to the bracket 56 by a fitting 74.

The leg 70 may include a screw thread 78 for enabling straightening and bending of the articulated arms 62, 64 by operation of the driver 68. Alternatively, as hereinabove noted in connection with the actuator 38, the driver 48 may be a linear actuator and include either an electric motor, hydraulic motor, or a pneumatic motor.

With reference again to FIG. 1, the present invention may further include at least one sun sensor 82, of conventional design disposed in a shadow, or umbrage, of the awning fabric 16. A controller 86 of suitable design is interconnected to the actuator 38 as indicated by the dashed line 88 and connected to the sun sensor 82, as indicated by the dashed line 90 for operating the actuator 38 in order to control the angular relationship, or pitch, and depending upon the sun angle, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Typical sun sensors 82 and controllers 86 are set forth Hugin publication available at www.particle.kth.se/˜fimi/hugin/huginsp2c.html.

The driver 48 may use a DC motor controller 86. The motor controller 86 preferably uses soft start and PWM-pulse width modulation—voltage control.

In addition, the motor controller 86 should support limit switch operation that will interrupt the voltage to the motor when the awning box mounting plate 20 pitched to one extreme or the other.

Additional sensors 92-100 may be utilized for pin pointing the edge of an awning shadow indicated by line 66 in order to vary the pitch of the lateral arm awning 12 in small increments.

Thus the actuators 38, 60 provide a means for coupling the awning box mounting plate 20 to the bracket 22 for changing the pitch of the extended lateral arm awning 12 and fabric 16 with respect to a horizontal 102 by changing an angular relationship between the awning box mounting plate 20 and the base plate 24.

Accordingly, a method in accordance with the present invention for controlling a pitch of a deployable awning includes providing a bracket 22, 56 for mounting an extendable/retractable lateral arm awning 12 to a wall 26 and adjusting a pitch of the extended lateral arm awning 12 with respect to both the wall 26 and a horizontal 102.

Further, the method includes disposing at least one sun sensor 82 in an umbrage of the extended lateral arm awning 12 and operating the bracket 22 in response to the sun sensor 82 to control the awning pitch.

Although there has been hereinabove described a specific adjustable pitch mounting bracket for lateral arm awnings in accordance with the present invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the recited elements. Further, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element, which is not specifically disclosed herein. Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art, should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. Lateral arm awning apparatus comprising: an awning box having a mounting plate; at least one lateral awning arm fixed to the mounting plate and extendable from said awning box for supporting an awning fabric; an adjustable pitch mounting bracket having a base plate fixable to a generally vertical surface; a hinge interconnecting the awning box mounting plate and the bracket; and an actuator coupling the awning box mounting plate and the bracket and causing an angular relationship between the awning box mounting plate and the bracket to change.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuator includes at least one actuator arm with a driver disposed therebetween at a position extending and retracting the arm.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said driver is a linear actuator.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said driver is selected from a group consisting of an electric motor, a hydraulic motor and a pneumatic motor.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said actuator includes a pair of articulated arms with a driver coupled between the articulated arms and said bracket at a position straightening and bending the articulated arms.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said driver is a linear actuator.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said driver includes a motor selected from a group consisting of electrical motor, a hydraulic motor and a pneumatic motor.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one sun sensor deployable in an umbrage of an extended awning fabric and a controller interconnected with the sensor and operating said actuator to control the angular relationship.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprises a plurality of vertically aligned sun sensors interconnected with said controller.
 10. Lateral arm awning apparatus comprising: an awning box having a mounting plate; at least one lateral awning arm extendable from said awning box for supporting an awning fabric; an adjustable pitch mounting bracket having a base plate fixable to a generally vertical surface; a hinge interconnecting the awning box mounting plate and the bracket; an actuator, coupling the awning mounting plate and the bracket, for changing a pitch of an extended awning fabric with respect to a horizontal by changing an angular relationship between the awning mounting plate and the bracket; and at least one sun sensor deployable in a umbrage of an extended awning fabric and a controller interconnected with the sensor for operating said actuator to control the awning fabric pitch.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said actuator includes at least one actuator arm with a driver disposed at a position extending and retracting the arms.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said actuator is a linear actuator.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said actuator includes a motor selected from a group consisting of an electrical motor, a hydraulic motor, and a pneumatic motor.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said actuator includes a pair of articulated arms with a driver coupled between the articulating and said bracket at a position straightening and bending the articulated arms.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said driver is a linear actuator.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said driver includes a motor selected from a group consisting of an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, and a pneumatic motor.
 17. The bracket apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a plurality of vertically aligned sun sensors interconnecting said controller.
 18. A method for controlling a pitch of a deployed awning fabric, said method comprising: providing a bracket mounting an extendable/retractable awning to a wall and adjusting a pitch of an extended awning fabric with respect to the wall; disposing a sun sensor in an umbrage of the extended awning fabric; and operating said bracket in response to said sun sensor to control the awning fabric pitch.
 19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising disposing a plurality of vertically aligned sun sensors interconnected with said controller. 